Value setting register



Feb. 28, 1950 E. FOWLER VALVE SETTING REGISTER ACTUATING DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1947 ATTO R N EY Feb. 28, 1950 Y FOWLER2,498,754

VALVE SETTING REGISTER ACTUATING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1947 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Feb. 28, 1950 FOWLER 2,498,754

VALVE SETTING REGISTER ACTUATING DEVICE Filed Jul zs, 1947 aSheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Patented Feb. 28, 1950 UNITEDS'IATES Prt'l ENT ()FlFlCE VALUE SETTING REGISTER ACTUATING BEVEGEration of Beiaware Application .l'uiy 23, 1947, Serial No. 762,858

(31. 235--&l)

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a register actuating device and isparticularly adapted for use in elfecting the accumulation of a selectedvalue in registering mechanism of a postage printing and meteringdevice.

In a postage printing and metering device, the value of postage which itis desired to print is first set up in printing wheels of a printingdevice and in actuator mechanism of a metering device, then, during aprinting cycle of operation, the actuator mechanism effects operation ofthe registering device to accumulate the printed value therein. It iswith regard to the latter operation that the device of this invention isparticularly concerned.

It is the object of the invention to provide an improved registeractuating device wherein the setting of a value will effect theadjustment of an element, which, during a cycle of o, eration, willguide the motion of differentially driven means and an accumulator wheeldrive connected therewith, and thereby control the accumulation of thevalue in accordance with the setting.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction. hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that various changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed. may be made withinthe scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein;

l. is a sectional view through the meter unit casing and includesregistering mechanism, value setting, register actuating and drivingmecha nism, with the setting mechanism set to the 9 value position;

Fig. 2 is an operational view showing the actuator mechanism in theposition assumed after the 9 value has been accumulated in. the registering mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a view of the setting and registering actuating mechanism,with the setting mechanism set in a position;

Fig. 4 is an operational view similar to S with the register actuatingmechanism shown its extreme forward stroke position, and sho\V"-1g howthe accumulator driving unit remained during the actuating mechanismmovement;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the elements shown in Fig. l, with the metercasing removed;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of an accumulator wheel clutch controlleddrive taken in the direction. of the arrow 6 on Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a differential unit associated with theactuator mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a meter unit casing ill enclosesregistering mechanism generally indicated at A, selection mechanism B,actuating mechanism C, and drive mechanism D.

The registering mechanism A includes accu-- mulator wheels i l-l 4, eachof which have an associated toothed wheel secured thereto and aresuitably mounted on shafts lt-ial supported within the meter casing iii.A pluality of accumulator wheels of the internal differential drive typeare provided in each group, and suitable Geneva tens transfer elementsre provided, as indicated at l'Jll'. By means of a common drive gear 18,which meshes with the toothed wheels i5-i5, the accumulator wheels i l-il are adapted to be driven during a cycle of operation. Referring toFig. 6, a pinion is is shown united with the gear it by means of aclutch 2!. Both the gear is and pinion is are supported on a shaft whichshaft is suitably supported within the meter casing Ill.

The selection mechanism 13 comprises a settable lever 23, which lever ispivotaliy mounted within a bracket 2 A circular portion projecting fromone side of the lever 23, fits within a circular opening 28 in thebracket provides a pivotal mounting for said settable lever. At thelower end or the settable lever a cam member 27 is provided, whichmember includes an arcuate cam slot 2 therein. A spring urged or gearsegment 32, which is freely mounted a shaft and is adapted to mesh withthe clutch pinion is. The shaft is suitably supported within the casing33. Two oppositely disposed levers and are freely mounted on a stud 34,

i the lever being upwardly disposed and the lever bein downwardlydisposed. free end of the upwardly disposed lever is joined with thefree end of a similar lever which is fixed to the shaft 33. Also, thefree end of the downwardly disposed lever 36 is joined with the 3 freeend of an arm 38 projecting downwardly from the gear segment 32. Saidlevers 35, 36, 31 and the arm 38, when joined together in the mannerdescribed and shown, form a parallel linkage structure. A cam roller 4|is also carried by the stud 34 and is guided within the cam slot 23 ofthe cam member 21.

When the settable lever is in the value 9 position shown in Fig. 1, thearcuate cam slot 28 is concentric with the center of the segment gearshaft 33, but during adjustment of the settable lever, the cam slot 28takes a difierent position relative to the shaft 33 for each valuesetting. The stroke of the gear segment 32 therefore, is dependent uponthe position of the cam mem ber 21.

In the value 9 position (Fig. 1) of the setting lever 23 and itsassociated cam member 21, the cam roller 4|, during a cycle ofoperation, will be moved through the path of the arcuate cam slot 28 tothe lowermost end thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2. Said motion of thecam roller will effect motion of the parallel linkage structure and therotation of the gear segment 32 about the shaft 33, to thereby rotateassociated accumulator wheels nine spaces. It will be noted that theparallel linkage structure does not alter its shape during actuation ofthe value 9, due to the concentric relation of the cam slot with theshaft 33.

When the setting lever is in the position, as indicated in Figs. 3 and4, the cam roller 4|, upon moving to the lower end of the arcuate camslot 23, will cause the parallel linkage structure to continually changeits shape during the movement of the cam roller without effecting anychange in position of the gear segment 32. The accumulator wheelsassociated with the 0 setting remain unmoved. Each of the intermediatevalue settings, 1 through 8, will effect a variable control of theparallel linkage structure to produce rotation of the segment gear 32and that of the pinion it, in accordance with the value set.

A drive is provided to effect oscillation of the parallel linkagestructure, which drive includes a lever 42 fixed to the shaft 33. A link43 has one end joined with the free end of the lever 42 and has a camroller 44 mounted at its opposite end. Said cam roller 44 is adapted toengage a cam slot 45 provided within a rotatable drum cam unit 46,carried by a main drive shaft 41. The rotation of the shaft 41 isadapted to effect a printing cycle of operation. The drum cam unit 46 isadapted to be driven by means of a drive gear 48, which gear may bedriven by any suitable manual or motor driven means. During eachrotation of the drum cam unit 46 therefore, the lever 42, shaft 33 andlever 31 will be oscillated to thus effect the drive of the parallellinkage structure and move the cam roller M through the cam slot 23,which slotwill control the effective movement of the gear segment 32.

A further cam portion is provided on the drum cam unit 45, and comprisesa cam slot 49, which is adapted to control the motion of a horizontallydisposed rocker lever best shown in Fig. 5. Said rocker lever ispivotally mounted on a support 52, and has a cam roller 53 at one end,and a projection 54 at the other end thereof. A clutch shifting yoke 55is adapted to straddle the sides of the clutch pinion l9, and has anotch 56 therein which is engaged by the projection 54. Said cam slot 49is arranged so that the rocker lever 5| will be rocked after the setvalue has been registered in the accumulator wheels of the registeringmechanism, to thus release the drive pinion |9 from its clutch driveposition when the cam roller 4| and parallel linkage structure returnfrom their actuating to their initial positions. Upon arriving at theinitial position, the cam slot 49 effects rocking of the lever 5| in anopposite direction to provide reengagement of the clutch 2|.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a register actuating device, an accumulator wheel, a toothedsegment member geared to said accumulator wheel, a value setting memberhaving a cam portion associated therewith, differential means comprisinga parallel linkage structure having one point connected with andcontrolled by the cam portion and having the actuating point thereofarranged to control the position of the toothed segment, an oscillatingdrive for said differential lever means, whereby the segment member isrocked in accordance with the differential movement of the parallellinkage structure as controlled by the position of the cam in each valueposition, and means to disconnect the geared connection between theaccumulator wheel and segment member after the selected value has beenaccumulated in the accumulator wheel.

2. In a register actuating device, an accumulator wheel, a toothedsegment member geared to said accumulator wheel, a value setting memberhaving a cam portion associated therewith, a follower roller engagingsaid cam, differential means comprising a parallel linkage structurehaving one point associated with the follower roller and the actuatingpoint thereof associated with the toothed segment member, an oscillatingdrive for said differential means, whereby the toothed segment member isrocked in accordance with a differential movement of the parallellinkage structure as controlled by the position of the cam in each valueposition, and means to disconnect the geared connection between theaccumulator wheel and segment member after the selected value has beenaccumulated in the accumulator wheel.

3. In a register actuating device, an accumulator wheel, a toothedmember geared to said accumulator Wheel, a value setting member,differential means comprising a parallel linkage structure having apivotal point and arranged to rock the toothed member when moved aboutsaid pivotal point, a cam associated with the value setting member andhaving an arcuate cam slot concentric with the parallel linkage pivotpoint when the setting member is adjusted to the position of highestvalue, a point of said parallel linkage opposite the pivot point beingengaged with the cam slot and controlled thereby, means to oscillate theparallel linkage structure about its pivotal point, whereby, when thesetting member is set in the position of highest value the shape of theparallel linkage structure will remain unchanged during oscillationthereof, and for each succeeding lower value setting the parallellinkage structure will differentially alter its shape to effect a strokeof the toothed member in accordance with the value set, and means todisconnect the geared connection between the accumulator wheel andsegment member after the selected value has been accumulated in theaccumulator wheel.

ELBERT FOWLER.

(References on following page) REFERENgES CITED Number The folTowingreferences are of record in the file of thls patent: 2:248:257 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 5 2,273,985 Number Name Date 1:133:33? 1fif?i:jjjjjjjjeii zj 1313 gggg Name Date Martin Oct. 31, 1916 Heinitz Nov.30, 1933 Thatcher July 8, 1941 Paden Feb. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTSCountry Date France Nov. 3, 1932

